It was a snowy day in January when I test drove a Fiesta ST. On summer rubber. I jumped railroad tracks in that little green booger. I loved it. I ordered one on the spot. Which one did I order? I had a performance blue FiST ordered with the gray recaros and a moonroof for options. I was told to expect a 6-8 week lead time. I have been ecstatic ever since.......until today.

It is April 18 at the time of writing. I was told the first week of April to "expect delivery" the week of the 21st. This is over a month and a half past my initial "expect delivery" date of the first week of March. Every week since that original week has been "One more week!" and I'm done. I can take no more. At this point, getting the Fiesta ST is an insult to myself because it means settling on the car I really didn't want. I am more than happy to take the depreciation hit for a car I love. But this? This treatment? No thanks. I'm one step away from being done. When I go into work this morning, I will place a call with the dealer. If I hear one more "Just one more week" then I will present the following ultimatum - Guarantee delivery by the end of the month or no sale to Ford. I will NOT settle on another FiST. I will NOT give Ford a sale of any kind. I have picked out some nice options from nearby dealers. They're not nearly as jalop but my lead option is a very low mileage (<20k) 2011 silverado V8, crew cab, 4x4, with the towing package for about the same price as the fiesta. It isn't jalop, but it will hold value and be useful while I wait. If I decide after a year or two I want to try again? I can bet money I won't lose more than a grand or so since I will limit mileage and won't "use" all of it.

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I LOVE the Fiesta ST. I want one more than any other car in the world right now save for an air cooled 911. But I am also stubborn and vengeful and I have no problems buying a very nice vehicle below blue book value that will hold value AND meet my needs while I wait. I have zero doubt in my mind that the silverado will be a good vehicle to own. If anything, it might encourage me to finish my Audi project to have a manual again. But maybe after this, the MkVII GTI will be more appealing. Perhaps an Alfa hatchback might land on our shores. Or maybe I'll get bored of the truck and end up in a miata or WRX or refreshed FRS or IDX or who knows what else.

The takeaway is this - I know this is NOT the dealer's fault that they have been getting bad information. But the fact that I have constantly been the one to ask where my car is only to get "Uuuuuhhhh......maybe next week" isn't fair at all. I have been saving for YEARS for this moment and if they can't figure out when I will get my car in then they don't deserve my business. If they are losing sales because of this issue then they need to bring this up to Ford. If anyone from Ford is listening - FIX. YOUR. SHIT. It is unreasonable and unsustainable to string an enthusiast along because we do stuff like this.

Fox Ford of Grand Rapids has done nothing wrong besides not tell me immediate updates of the status of all of this (which might be a tad unrealistic as they will check for me whenever I ask). But the fact that Ford can't provide the vehicle to the dealership when promised is something I can't fathom. Allegedly my car is currently "built" but it also somewhere between mexico and kansas city and has been there since April 3rd or something. Why is it not in Grand Rapids? "Reasons" is the only answer I got. Well that isn't good enough. Not anymore. I have been MORE than patient and as I sit here, rewriting my CL post AGAIN after losing ANOTHER buyer who backed out because I asked them to wait, I'm done. This is Ford's last chance with me. Potentially for quite some time.